Landbased aquaculture licensing

Landbased aquaculture requires a licence describing the activity that can be undertaken on a parcel of land. The licence holder must have permission to use that parcel of land.

Applying for a new licence

Write an expression of interest before applying for a licence. An expression of interest is a basic plan for your venture that is assessed by Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) Fisheries and Aquaculture for any issues that prevent a full application and assessment being made.

Include the following information in your expression of interest as a minimum:

The species chosen for culture, including the scientific name if known.

The location of the proposed site. Including size in hectares and approximate site corner coordinates.

A description of the farming method that will be used (e.g. longlines, sea-cages).

Your experience/qualifications in aquaculture or primary production.

Expected tonnage of output once fully established or maximum tonnage the site can hold at full development.

PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture will notify you about your expression of interest. Suitable expressions of interest will be contacted about making a full licence application. PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture may request more information if the expression of interest does not provide enough information to assess it.

Contact the industry association for the species you are interested in for more information.

Landbased license categories

Landbased licenses are classified into categories A, B, C and D. The licence category allocated to a given licence depends on the level of regulation and administration required to manage the risks associated with each aquaculture activity, from lowest (Category A) to highest (Category D).

There are multiple factors used to assess the level of regulation, including: